Post by greghopper on Mar 7, 2008 20:35:23 GMT -5
Who’s in charge of Illinois deer?
February 22, 2008 at 05:03 AM
BY JEFF LAMPE
Forget budget woes. You want to know how bad things are in the Illinois Department of Natural Resources?
DNR biologists aren’t even in control of the deer herd any longer.
Oh, in theory they manage the world-class Illinois deer herd.
But in practice the DNR has steadily lost a grip on the deer herd. Control has shifted to politicians, who seem hell-bent on killing more deer. And control ha shifted to outfitters, who effectively manage much of the state’s best timber.
Consider that later this year, a task-force will meet to discuss deer management issues. The present makeup of the group calls for legislators and members of various groups: outfitters, gun hunters, bowhunters, the insurance agency, the Illinois Farm Bureau, the Illinois State Police and conservation police.
But no deer biologists.
It’s against that curious backdrop that the Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic opens today at Bloomington’s Interstate Center. The deer show runs through Sunday and more than 20,000 are expected to attend, lured in large part by the display of world-class bucks.
Among the monster racks expected are a 20-pointer from Knox County shot by firearm hunter Marty Sharp of Gilson, a 17-point LaSalle County bowkill bagged by Dave Gorisek of Mark and an 11-point Randolph County bruiser arrowed by archer Joel Eggers.
No doubt other amazing antlers will emerge. Every show includes surprises. In terms of quality of bucks, there’s no better event in the U.S.
But big bucks are also a big part of the reason DNR has lost its handle over the deer herd.
Based on 2006 numbers, there are 270 licensed outfitters in Illinois that control just over 1 million acres. Wildlife program manager John Buhnerkempe estimated at least another 1 million acres are tied up by non-licensed outfitters, those landowners who choose to book hunts on their own ground.
For those scoring at home, that’s nearly 2 million acres tied up by outfitters versus 555,000 acres of public land in Illinois. No wonder more and more people are hunting with outfitters: projected numbers show 11,182 in 2006, up from 8,473 in 2005.
And what are those hunters paying big bucks to hunt? Bucks. In 2005 outfitter clients shot 2,244 bucks and 2,598 does. Many of those does were no doubt shot in the late-winter antlerless season.
Break that down and you’ll see outfitters are taking roughly one deer for every 207 acres and one doe for every 386 acres. Then again, one outfitter who controls 6,000 acres reported his clients shot eight bucks and no does.
Is it any wonder deer populations are increasing in places?
Is it any wonder selling more deer hunting permits does not automatically lead to harvest increases?
“There are some big, broad issues we need to address as far as the future of deer hunting,” Buhnerkempe said.
So what’s the answer?
One obvious option is for outfitters to kill more does. Good luck enforcing that.
Another option is “Earn a Buck.” In other words, hunters must kill a doe before shooting a buck, a proposal floated in legislation this spring.
On a case-by-case basis earn-a-buck programs have worked to reduce deer overpopulation at places like Clinton Lake and, to a lesser degree, Jubilee College State Park. On a statewide level it would be hugely contentious and difficult to enforce now that the DNR did away with check stations.
Another option is to continue educating landowners about their role in deer management. Spread the message: antlers are great, but to halt overpopulation we’ve got to control does.
Whatever the eventual answer, it seems sensible to seek the input of biologists who helped build the Illinois deer herd into the national attraction it has become.
Then again, one thing obviously lacking in Springfield these days is good sense.
February 22, 2008 at 05:03 AM
BY JEFF LAMPE
Forget budget woes. You want to know how bad things are in the Illinois Department of Natural Resources?
DNR biologists aren’t even in control of the deer herd any longer.
Oh, in theory they manage the world-class Illinois deer herd.
But in practice the DNR has steadily lost a grip on the deer herd. Control has shifted to politicians, who seem hell-bent on killing more deer. And control ha shifted to outfitters, who effectively manage much of the state’s best timber.
Consider that later this year, a task-force will meet to discuss deer management issues. The present makeup of the group calls for legislators and members of various groups: outfitters, gun hunters, bowhunters, the insurance agency, the Illinois Farm Bureau, the Illinois State Police and conservation police.
But no deer biologists.
It’s against that curious backdrop that the Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic opens today at Bloomington’s Interstate Center. The deer show runs through Sunday and more than 20,000 are expected to attend, lured in large part by the display of world-class bucks.
Among the monster racks expected are a 20-pointer from Knox County shot by firearm hunter Marty Sharp of Gilson, a 17-point LaSalle County bowkill bagged by Dave Gorisek of Mark and an 11-point Randolph County bruiser arrowed by archer Joel Eggers.
No doubt other amazing antlers will emerge. Every show includes surprises. In terms of quality of bucks, there’s no better event in the U.S.
But big bucks are also a big part of the reason DNR has lost its handle over the deer herd.
Based on 2006 numbers, there are 270 licensed outfitters in Illinois that control just over 1 million acres. Wildlife program manager John Buhnerkempe estimated at least another 1 million acres are tied up by non-licensed outfitters, those landowners who choose to book hunts on their own ground.
For those scoring at home, that’s nearly 2 million acres tied up by outfitters versus 555,000 acres of public land in Illinois. No wonder more and more people are hunting with outfitters: projected numbers show 11,182 in 2006, up from 8,473 in 2005.
And what are those hunters paying big bucks to hunt? Bucks. In 2005 outfitter clients shot 2,244 bucks and 2,598 does. Many of those does were no doubt shot in the late-winter antlerless season.
Break that down and you’ll see outfitters are taking roughly one deer for every 207 acres and one doe for every 386 acres. Then again, one outfitter who controls 6,000 acres reported his clients shot eight bucks and no does.
Is it any wonder deer populations are increasing in places?
Is it any wonder selling more deer hunting permits does not automatically lead to harvest increases?
“There are some big, broad issues we need to address as far as the future of deer hunting,” Buhnerkempe said.
So what’s the answer?
One obvious option is for outfitters to kill more does. Good luck enforcing that.
Another option is “Earn a Buck.” In other words, hunters must kill a doe before shooting a buck, a proposal floated in legislation this spring.
On a case-by-case basis earn-a-buck programs have worked to reduce deer overpopulation at places like Clinton Lake and, to a lesser degree, Jubilee College State Park. On a statewide level it would be hugely contentious and difficult to enforce now that the DNR did away with check stations.
Another option is to continue educating landowners about their role in deer management. Spread the message: antlers are great, but to halt overpopulation we’ve got to control does.
Whatever the eventual answer, it seems sensible to seek the input of biologists who helped build the Illinois deer herd into the national attraction it has become.
Then again, one thing obviously lacking in Springfield these days is good sense.
.....
Lets see, now this is an example and not real numbers but lets say special interest group A has 250 members and there are 125,000 total Illinois deer hunters. Now wouldn't special interest group A be considered small compared to the total hunters? 
